Bonnie Kelso
www.bkelso.com

I recently met Bonnie Kelso and was impressed by the quality of her art, her professionalism, and her enthusiasm for promoting herself. I am thrilled that she agreed to talk with me and give you some insights on how she manages her own career as an artist.

9/11 motivated Bonnie Kelso to give up a 12 year career as an exhibit designer, to pursue her lifelong dream as a full time fine artist. She began painting again just over two years ago and within that time, has created a large collection of works, has had numerous articles written about her, publishes her own blog, is webmaster of the Vegas Artists Guild, has exhibited her work in 16 shows - and this week, opened her own studio/gallery.

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In your opinion, what are the 3 best attributes or traits of a successful artist?
positive thinking, positive attitude, positive karma - Customers don’t want to hear about your struggles, how you couldn’t pay your rent or buy groceries. They want to feel good when they look at your work. They want to feel like they are investing in the career of a successful artist, not a starving artist. The truth is, positive thinking does wonders for your career. The more you believe you are successful, the more opportunities will seem to come your way. When you’re on the show floor, smile and be engaging. Don’t sit in your chair like a bump on a log. Work it! This is your opportunity to spread the good word about your artwork. Practice good karma. When you see other artists selling when you are not, don’t be jealous, be happy for them, and sooner or later this positivity will come back to you, perhaps in unexpected ways. The best is when the positive forces show up in your work. You paint better, have better ideas, feel more inspired and enjoy the creative process more.

How do you divide your time between business and painting?
It always seems that the business side takes more time. I’d like to say it’s split 50/50 but it’s more like 70/30. It’s hard work promoting yourself. You can never seem to put it on the back shelf entirely. It takes maintenance. The key is to really get into it. Don’t let it become something you dread to do. Find ways to make it fun and creative, and it suddenly won’t feel so much like work. To make sales and be “successful” in this way, you need to embrace the business of art as much as you embrace art itself.

How did you get into selling your own work?
I started painting full time when I decided to make Las Vegas my home. I didn’t know anyone! I got involved with First Friday, our monthly street fair in the Arts District, and started talking to other artists. I joined a few clubs like the CAC (Contemporary Arts Collective) and the Vegas Artists Guild. I eventually signed up for a few local art festivals. One thing seemed to lead to another. Vegas is still a unique situation. Art opportunities are there, they just seem spread out and not advertised very well. We, speaking as a member of the art community there, are working on that problem. “Word of mouth” is still the king in Vegas!

What is your most effective marketing tool?
By far, the internet! If you are an artist and you want to sell your work, you have to have a website. There is no excuse these days. There are free sites available with nice templates, and anyone can figure it out with a little patience and determination. It’s your brochure for the world to see. Once it’s up there, you can continue to develop it. I’m always adding updates and new sections. It’s an important tool for sharing and showing what you’re all about.

In which markets do your paintings sell the best?
I’m not sure what markets work the best, but I do know my audience, I think this is really important. My best audience tends to be nature lovers. People who work hard and play hard. They want reminders of the good feelings they have when they get away from the office and back to nature. Since these people are usually too busy to leisurely walk around art festivals and would rather be out hiking on the weekends, myself included, it’s hard to find places for me to expose my work to them. I focus on smaller items like greeting cards and calendars to get people interested. Something they might find in a visitor center gift shop or sporting goods store. They say most people need to see your work five times before they will buy. It’s hard to say which venue will cinch the deal.

You have worked in the past as an exhibit designer for some of the finest organizations (the Smithsonian Museums, the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, the Eisenhower Presidential Library, the Newseum and the National Geographic Society). How did this aspect of your career help you with your current career as a full time professional artist?
When I graduated from college with a fine art degree, I launched into exhibition design with no formal training in that area. I had to teach myself a lot and pick things up on the job. Now as I shift gears in my career, I am finding there’s a lot I need to learn again. Of course, all experience helps, and I do draw on the skills I learned during my career as an exhibit designer. I use all these skills still, only now it’s for my own exhibitions and marketing materials. I like to offer these services to my potential collectors to give me a market edge. I can offer to come to a specific site to offer advice or hang artwork for them. I think people appreciate that extra help.

What steps would you recommend for new artists to take for getting their work into the market? When you were first looking at this concept of earning a living as an artist, what do you wish someone had told you?
Number one, be careful about how much you have to spend to display your work. There seems to be a lot of venues that require money upfront from the artist. Most add a commission on top of that. I generally think these situations are unfair to the artist, but I have ventured into some of these opportunities just for the exposure. If you do take this route, have a good contract that spells out what both parties expect from the arrangement. I’ve been burned more than once this way, and I wish someone had warned me to be more cautious. You have to enter into deals that will help you make a profit. Don’t make this the most expensive job you ever had.

The process of making a name for yourself is a long journey. I am still paying my dues here. Explore every opportunity that comes your way, but be wary of the ones that seem to promise overnight success for a lump sum fee. Don’t let yourself get flattered into something you can’t afford. I like to keep a budget for these things. When my budget is gone for the year, well, I can say it just wasn’t meant to be. Keep the things you enter into diverse at first. Try small juried art competitions that award prizes, group exhibits at local art galleries, maybe even a few consignment opportunities in alternative public places like coffee shops or boutique stores. The objective is to get exposure while staying in the black. Much easier said than done.

Tell us what you hope to accomplish in the next 2 years?
I hope to establish a few licensing contracts. I am currently developing my licensing attack plan. I have learned that this is a lengthy process, but I want to pursue it to the best of my ability. I also want to branch out my exposure to a few other regions. I’m looking into a few venues in California, Arizona and Utah. I also hope to find more time to paint. There’s never enough time!

You donate a portion of the proceeds of your paintings. Could you talk about that?
I’ve been a nature-lover since I was a little kid exploring in the woods. Before I decided to be a full time artist, I traveled all over the world for two years. I saw some amazing places, and everywhere I went I saw evidence of global climate change. I can’t understand how anyone can believe it isn’t real. I wanted to do something, to make a difference somehow. I looked inside myself and analyzed my skill set. Making art about the environment is what I wanted to do most. I wanted to inspire others to see hope for our planet’s future. It’s my mission. The best way for me to give to the cause right now is by staying consistent with my subject matter and by giving to causes that support nature conservation. This is in the form of money from sales, donations of artwork for fund raisers, and spreading awareness of the issues. It makes me ecstatic to be able to do this, a dream come true!

Is there anything you’d like to bring up that I haven’t asked?
I’m opening a studio / gallery with a fellow artist, Teresa Testa, at the Southern Nevada Center for the Arts on historic Fremont Street in downtown Las Vegas. This is a new facility which will involve many local artists and the community at large. We will eventually be offering workshops, classes, and programming for local school groups. There are 45 artists involved presently and those numbers will grow rapidly over the next few years. I’m very excited about this opportunity and I strongly encourage anyone who finds themselves in the Las Vegas area to come and check it out. It’s located at 450 Fremont Street (just east of the canopy) on the second level of the Neonopolis Complex.

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Thank you Bonnie for these insightful and encouraging words. I speak for readers all over the world when I say your accomplishments are inspiring. ~The Art Mentor

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